Chantix Lawsuits

Side effects of Chantix, a popular stop smoking drug, have been linked to an increased risk of suicides, suicide attempts, aggressive and unusual behavior. A number of individuals throughout the United States are pursuing product liability lawsuits for suicides and other problems from Chantix.

CHANTIX LAWSUIT STATUS: All federal Chantix lawsuits have been consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, where the first trial dates are expected in late 2012 and early 2013. More than 2,500 cases have been brought nationwide, and at least one Chantix settlement agreement has been reached in a suicide case that was scheduled to be the first lawsuit presented to a jury.

OVERVIEW: Chantix (varenicline) is a prescription medication designed to help people quit smoking. It was approved in 2006 and has quickly become a very popular medication for people who have had a difficult time breaking their smoking addiction. By blocking the receptors commonly stimulated by nicotine, Chantix reduces the positive feelings that come from cigarettes.

Although Pfizer had high hopes that the medication would become a top selling drug for the pharmaceutical company, concerns about serious and potentially life-threatening side effects of Chantix have limited use of the medication.

Chantix users have reportedly suffered severe psychological side effects, which may increase the risk of suicide, suicide attempts or other violent behavior, as a result of the way the drug interacts with the brain. Recent studies have also suggested that some users may face an increased risk of heart attacks and other heart problems from Chantix.

CHANTIX SUICIDE PROBLEMS: Shortly after Chantix was introduced, an alarming number of reports were received by the FDA MedWatch adverse event reporting system involving users who committed suicide on Chantix or suddenly attempted suicide, despite no prior history of psychological problems.

In February 2008, the FDA issued a statement which suggested that their evaluation indicates it is “increasingly likely that there may be an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.”

In July 2009, the FDA required Pfizer to add a prominently displayed boxed warning about the risk of behavior changes, depression, hostility and suicidal thoughts, which is the strongest warning that can be placed on a prescription medication.

CHANTIX LAWYERS: Lawsuits are being evaluated by Chantix lawyers throughout the country on behalf of users who have suffered severe physical injury or death as a result of:

Suicide

Attempted Suicide

Sudden Aggressive Behavior

Heart Attack

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Coronary Revascularization

Submit information regarding a potential Chantix lawsuit to have your case reviewed and evaluated by an attorney. If it appears that you, a friend or family member may be entitled to compensation as a result of Chantix side effects, you may be contacted by a lawyer.

192 comments

I used Chantix 3 1/2 years ago, sucuessfully quit smoking after 7 days took the medication for about 3 weeks total. Then started smoking again about 6 months ago started Chantix 12 days ago and have not smoke for the last 4 days. I was a pack a day smoker for 20 years.

The first time using I had no side effects except for he vivid dreams (no biggy). This time no dreams but my gums are sore otherwise no side effects at all. Will probably take another week then stop medication and be a non-smoker yay!

I took this drug. I suffered from a blackout for a week not realizing what I was doing I destroyed my house hurt my wife I had no idea all this was going on it ended with me attempting suicide. I took all my sleeping pills and ended up in the hospital psych ward for a week my advise do not take this very dangerous drug… It KILLS I am blessed to still be after what happened to me

I took Cantix for 1 month in 2007. I started having seizures & still have them. I lost my ability to drive or work, I was an LPN. I have been dealing with the effects of this drug for 4 years & I smoke more now than I did before I took it. Pfizer is getting rich & we are left to suffer

I took Chantix for 3 weeks and at first I was thrilled how it made quitting easy- or so I thought!. I had some dreams and a bit of nausea, and slight shortness of breath, no biggie… Then I started experiencing extreme pain in my knees, I could not bend them without falling over. Then, the back of my eyeballs started hurting, and I got shooting pains down my left arm. That was 2 weeks ago. I stopped the pills right away and all the other pains slowly went away. But now I cannot take a deep breath. I am always short of breath and I am terrified. I have to work and can’t go to the doc for a couple of days. I am afraid I am going to have a heart attack before I can get to the doc! I hate Chantix for what it has done to us all.

My beautiful healthy happy sister Dawn, attempted to commit suicide after starting Chantix, her doctor instead of stopping Chantix put her on an anti depressant- she then attempted suicide and this time unfortunately succeeded- Unfortunately, her devastated 18 yr old daughter was power of attorney so we could not sue or file a complaint on her behalf- her daughter was devastated and in denial so there was nothing we could do but try to spread the word… Chantix Kills

WHEN YOU ARE TOLD IT TAKES 30 CAYS FOR THE MEDICATION AND FOR THE PERSON TO ADJUST AND THE MEDICATION TO START WORKING WATCH OUT. IT IS CALLED A ADAPTIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT ACTIVITY WHICH THEN BECOMES YOUR EXISTING CHANGED BALANCES WHICH BECOME UNBALANCED FROM YOUR PREVIOUS BALANCED AND NORMAL FUNCTIONING WHICH WAS THEN A POSSIBLE UNKNOWN SICKNESS WHICH IS SYMPTOMS WITH NO EMPIRICAL BIOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION WHICH CAN BE VALIDATED AND REPRODUCED BY A EMPIRICAL AND USUAL METHOD WHICH IDENTIFIES A SPECIFIC TYPE OF VIRUS OR BIRTH DEFECT.

iI was prescribed Chanytix when it was still a gairly new “wonder” drug. I wanted to quit smoking and had tried hypnosis, patches, cold turkey, etc., all with no success. After a little over a week I started having horrible, vivid dreams and was feeling just a little aggitated. A few weeks later my husband had to literally pull me off of an elderly gentlemen in my resturaunt because I was wntng to hurt him because he couldn’t find some food he wanted, That weekend I stayed in bed all 3 days, could not, did not want to function at all. I have 6 children, a business and am what people would call a server in life. I love people and life. t this point though I hated, literally hated evryone and everything. Went to my Dr. and was diagnosed as depressed and anxiety disorder and was referred to a psychologist and went for over two months as my condition worsened to where I could not work because I had to deal with the public, my children and my hsband feared me, I thought seriously about ending my life and would fantasize about it. I was put on anti-depressants, a booster for the anti=depressant and still no better. I happened to have mentioned to my psychologist that I was on Chantix and she said STOP it NOW. Chantix was the reason for my erratic, hateful, depressive actions. I stopped it immediately but it took a few more months to be weaned off the other drugs to counteract the side effects from the Chantix. That had to be the most terrifying, misunderstood, destructive thing I have experienced in my life. It has taken a very long time to overcome the left over effects from this and I still struggle with the depression and anger that had developed but am able to control and push myself most days to be the person I was, even though no one knows how hard it is to be “me” again. Such a very sad, preventable, ill-knowledged thing this has been. By the way I am still smoking and do not sleep at night anymore either. I truly believe this drug changes you for the worst forever. I would beg someone not to take this long lasting dehibillitating drug

I was prescribed Chantix after many unsuccessful attempts to quit in various ways. I had started and then stopped because the medicine was make me vomit so much. I had not pin pointed that the medicine was making me vomit, So I started taking the medicine again. I started to get very agitated and aggressive. I continued to take the medication thinking I was experiencing those because I was irritable from not getting the nicotine. After the second time being on it for a little over a week an action of mine was going to change forever. I got arrested for Domestic Violence against my partner while on the medication. This is not the type of person I normally was when not on the medication as I was in the field of helping people and loved it. At 20 years old I was on the Volunteer fire department and won rookie of the year award as well as after I turned 21 I was working as an EMT on an ambulance. After being on this medication and getting into trouble for my unnormal aggressive behaivor I am no longer able to do what I was passionate about.

you have to know that people do not go to the trouble and expense of getting this medicine…w/hopes of having horrendous side effects.

Had I not taken this med myself…I would’ve had a hard time believing some of the stories….but, I DID…and can asSURE you…this is one, POWERFUL, all-CONSUMING pill!!

There are no warning labels STRONG enough…and no SAFE way to take this (besides not swallowing). The only right thing to do, would be to TAKE IT OFF THE SHELF!! Please believe me when I say this is a SNEAKY, UNPREDICTABLE, SLOW YET THOROUGH medication…that once it touches on your smoking receptors (which it DID for me…)…it grows feet and travels throughout your brain planting evil seeds that distort/TWIST thoughts, dreams, actions, reflexes, etc.

While on the RIGHT TRACK…Pfizer needs to pull this drug until the kinks can be worked out. If that’s even possible.

I have taken Chantix on four separate occasions since this drug was put on the market. Since then I have had terrible headaches! I have never had issues with headaches until I started this medication. It has made me have mood swings, anger and I become irritated very easily. Well two weeks ago I had a headache attack which brought me to see my doctor. He did tests which showed what looked to him to be a aneurysm. He sent me to a specialist who did tests and confirmed it. Two days later I was sent in to surgery where a second anuresym was discovered. I know this was caused by the chantix. Has anyone else had these problems or know someone with these problems? I’m also looking for a lawyer.

Started Chantix 5-17-2011, My 50th Birthday!! I Started smoking at approx 12 years old, 38 years. with in first week not smoking or even desiring a cig. wow this is great.The week of 7 june 2011 every time i ate my mouth would be on fire, tounge would swell up. started noticing a buzzing sensation in fore arms, thies and chest occational shortnes of breath. Last chantix june 14 2011. Since then i have completely lost all sense of taste, on the brink of loosing a 35 year marrige and cant explain why. i would really like to taste again any help

I think Chantix should be completely taken off the market! The side effects are too dangerous to chance, they should do more research and come up with a safer drug. I lost my dad because he tried Chantix to quit smoking. It made him depressed and he flipped out one day, threatening to kill himself and their dogs. My step-mother could not reason with him, the more she said the worse it made him. He started breaking funiture and throwing stuff around the house, she called the cops for HELP. When the cops arrived they took her away from the property, even after she tried to get them to let her help talk to him. Sometime later they decided that talking wasn’t going to be effective, so they sent 2 cops behind the house. They started to sneek up behind him to tackle him or whatever they had planned. He heard something behind him so he turned to see what it was, the second he turned to see what the noise was they unload 5 rounds into him. The first shot was straight to the heart, they claim they were just trying to disarm him. If they were really trying to disarm him, 1 shot to his arm would have made him drop the gun and he would most likely still be here today. Hopefully someone will read this before 1 of their loved ones or their self decide to take Chantix, IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK! ! !

I took chantix last spring. I was on it for a couple of weeks. I started to become very depressed, angry and very high anxiety. I stopped taking the medication after thoughts of suicide. My depression and anxiety lasted through the whole summer before I went back to the doctor. I didn’t go anywhere and only got on the bike twice that summer. My doctor has me on prozac and clonazapam which has controlled my anxiety/panic attacs. I still feel depressed some days and I am still smoking. During the time I was taking chantix I became very dizzy and nauseated as well. I know this works for some people and happy that it does, but it didn’t work for me and I will now be on pills the rest of my life.

I started Chantix in 2007, I took it for 3 months. At first I thought it was situational, family problems or stress, 4 years later it’s still there, the personality changes, the anger, hostility. Like many others I was happy, upbeat and outgoing. Since Chantix, I am unable to control my temper, the slightest provocation will set me off. I am a medical tech and a granmother. I have alienated my family. I have tachycardia so bad it scares me. The anger I feel inside is debilitating. It takes my breathe away, just trying to control it. It helps to read about this from others because I didn’t understand What was wrong with me at first. I wonder, hope and pray this nightmare doesn’t last forever!

No one should take Chantix. I only took Chantix for 5 days and wish I would never have taken one pill. Within the hour of taking the first pill, my ears started buzzing (high pitched), I was dizzy, nauseous, vomited. I called the doctor’s office and was told that side effects should go away after a few days. So I continued to take a pill each day. On the day that I was supposed to start 2 pills a day, I could not bring myself to take the 2nd pill. I stopped taking Chantix altogether – too afraid to take another pill. After stopping Chantix, the nausea and vomiting stopped. I have had to live 24/7 with a constant, high pitched buzzing in my ears and vertigo, and shaking of my eyes when I look to the right or left now for almost 5 months. I had the doctor see me about this, I saw an audiologist, and had an MRI. I have some damaged blood vessels in my brain, constant ear buzzing, and vertigo/dizziness and was told that I may have to live with this the rest of my life. I believe with all my heart that Chantix did this to me. I have other health problems as well. I have been in therapy for depression after this, too. I absolutely hate Chantix and know it is a dangerous drug that people never should have been allowed to take. Ever.

Been taking Chantix 6 weeks and have lost 50% of my hair. I just got my hair back after Chemo, it was thick and curly,I was so happy. Now just devastated. I hope it stops falling out, even if it don\’t get thick again I hope I don\’t loss it all. Anyone else with hair problems from this BAD drug.

My mother was on Chantix for quite a while. She had decided to stop taking it. Not due to any ill effects, just tired of taking it. She began smoking almost immediately. For two weeks she would just fall over. Not pass out, just all of the sudden fall. After 2 weeks of stopping this medication she suffered a severe brain anyuersm . (sp) I have ALWAYS had a feeling that happened due to the Chantix. While she is lucky to be alive, she isn’t the same person. She seems to be stuck in her teenage years and is 55!

I’ve been on Chantix for 4 days. No more, I quit. My side effects are so bad I decided to see if I was nuts or not and did a web search. Thankfully I found this site. Normally I’m not quick to anger. But after taking Chantix 3 days I was ready to blow my top. Acting in a way that’s just not me. Becoming frustrated at the drop of a hat and ready to fire off things I’d normally not fire off!
My sense of smell has become something I’ve never experienced before. Everything smells odd. All within 4 days of starting this pill. I feel sick. I’m constipated and laxatives have done nothing. Food tastes horrible. I feel awful. My heart feels like it’s going to jump out of my body. I just want to get back to being normal. I hope that’s possible.

Its been almost 4 years since I took this horrible life changing drug. Fresh out of the military and fresh into college I was proactive about everything. I had focus, goals, self esteem, a happy home life and great personal life. I’ve lost all of it!! The women that stayed with me through this hell had enough an left me me 9 months ago. That’s when I held my pistol for hours crying and wondering why I still needed to be here. I ended up going to the local VA hospital for an even more horrible experience that didn’t really help me solve anything. In the last 4 years, the VA had me try almost every anti depressant on the market for which nothing seems to have worked effectively.

I’m unable to hold my concentration for very long as see on my college transcripts. I was holding a 3.2 before and ended with a 2.0
The things I use to do for fun no longer bring me satisfaction.
I can not be in large crowds without mass fear.
I’ve become extremely paranoid to the point Id rather not leave the house.
I’ve lost every job that I’ve had since taking chantix.
Being around people pisses me off but being alone scares me.

Its 2am and I want to sleep so badly I can cry. The sleep that I do get somehow moves my mattress 4-6 inches from the box springs. I think about dying everyday as if it would be a blessing to me and the people that are close to me. Some days are better than others but never have they been the same since I took this hellish medication. I truly can not wait till I expire.

I’m a Chantix Pro. I’ve taken Chantix through 4 series. Each time, I quit. It is an amazing drug. What I failed to recognize was Chantix Masks the nicotine desire – it did not eliminate it. So, after 4 or 5 months after being off Chantix, I found myself in situations where I caved and had one smoke. As you probably know, there is no such thing as just one cigarette.

I’ve repeated the Chantix series over several years. I’m on my last series – I have no choice. I must quit.

My side effects include strange dreams – no nightmares – double vision at times, irritability, and some depression. All symptoms were quickly recognized and manageable. Many times, simply halving the dose is enough to minimize these symptoms and remain effective

The drug and side effects are very well documented and conveyed. Its no secrete that Chanix can cause some serious problems in a few patients. Why these people don’t heed the warnings and talk to their physician is a mystery to me. Yet, these people are quick to jump on the lawsuit bandwagon.

All drugs have side effects. Chantix is no different. The side effects are well known and conveyed in all advertisements and packaging. Listen to you body. If you’re having any problems with this or any drug, then talk to your physician.

My mother used Chantix to end a very long relationship with smoking. She had tried other methods and always relapsed. She used Chantix several years ago, and she was successful and is to this day smoke-free. Unfortunately, the mother I knew is gone and as far as I know she may be forever changed. She was always a healthy, energetic, independent lady who had a steel trap of a mind. There is absolutely no heart disease or dementia in our family medical history. Everyone in my mother’s family has died of cancer but for the most part in very advanced age. My mother has had two heart stents put in shortly after her experince with Chantix. I thought it was sudden and unexpected but maybe just her habit caught up with her. Now, my mother is suffereing sudden onset dementia which is progressing quickly. Nothing about my mother’s health has made sence to me over the past couple years. How did this perfectly healthy woman who was independent go to needing reminders for the simplest tasks. I know somethings in life just don’t make sense, but I can’t help but think this medication is behind her drastic change. I’ve read through these comments and paid particular attention to the ones who mentioned neuro changes. I’ve mentioned my concern over a connection to this medication to three neuro docs, and they look at me like I’m crazy. Could someone please quit worrying about the bottom line long enough to care about the POSSIBLITY that this drug could have cost my mother her independence, security, and most costly her memories? What an awful way to spend the years she should be enjoying the fruits of all her hard work. I am infruriated at the comments of those calus people who blame these people for hopping on the lawsuit bandwagon. Tell me what amount of money you could be paid in exchange for every memory you’ve had. Yesterday, she couldn’t remember my daughter’s name. My mom is 66. If there is a 1% chance that this drug caused this to happen to her, I want to know, and I want to shout the warning from the rooftops to anyone considering taking it.

I lost the love of my life over chantix pills. God i miss her!!!! i miss her with all my heart!
The pain , the humiliation, the misery that i put her through cannot be explained. Much more i had no idea that what i did….what i did to her, that i..i am so ashamed that i cannot say it. .I can only ask for forgiveness and maybe somebody can help us all. I will do anything just do be normal again.
I took those chantix pills hoping for the best ,but God i wish i knew the effects of them. I am crying as i am typing these words. I am very affected of the Chantix Pills.
From the bottom of my heart, if i had the money i would make those doctors that came up with CHANTIX to use it on them and their kids and all of their family members and maybe one of them would end up like i did, like we all did.
Stupid of us to believe that no consequences were waiting for us.
It all started in December of 2011 when i took some chantix pills from my brother in law. The pills were supposed to make you quit smoking and help you to give up smoking.
After 2-3 days i felt weird and i gave up on them. I was still smoking. After a month or two i decided to try again. So i took more pills from his pills.
I was taking them day and night ( one and one) and soon enough i gave up smoking and i couldn’t smoke even if i wanted to. I felt good that i couldn’t smoke and i was telling everyone how good i feel and i gave up smoking with chantix….but only if i knew what would happen next in my life….GOD PLEASE GIVE IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS!!!! PLEASE!!!! I can’t stop from crying because i recently realized how messed up my life is and what and how much i have lost because of chantix.
One day i come home and my girlfriend was waiting for me home. She was in the basement sleeping on the couch. I go downstairs and i see her sleeping. I let her sleep and i start looking on internet for some stuff. She wakes up at one point and she tells me to turn the light off. All i know is that before she ended the sentence i took the laptop and i threw it towards her head…..5-10 inches away from her forehead. Just like that, a brand new laptop ended up in the wall. No previous fights or arguments. We were in love and soon probably to be married. ….not anymore the case.
I threw a laptop at my girlfriends head because she asked me to turn the light off!!! The person that i love, live with it in the same house!! How is that possible!!! ???? Because she asked me to turn the light off I went over the edge in matter of 2 seconds!!!! RAGE….next thing I know I am driving around the neighborhood. 15-20 minutes later I come back home. Two of her friends are there talking with her. One of my good friends was looking for me in the area, driving around trying to find me. I walk in and I say “ hey wassup guys” like nothing happened!!
This was probably the first incident that i remember. Did I mention that I don’t remember almost anything from these last 6-7 months!

In the next days what i did, say and acted with my girlfriend are beyond a Steven Spielberg script.
I called the woman that i love the most , different names and cursed her out in ways that i can no longer say again. I am very ashamed of what i did.
She tried many times to make it work, but god knows why i did not had the strength to do the same….and now i am paying for it, as she moved out while i was in ny with work over the weekend. She left me!!
When i got back home..she was gone and the house was empty. I felt empty from that day on tilll this day. It has been 4 or 5 months since she moved out.
Sometimes i look for a fight or the biggest guy around me, i look or make up a reason for a fight. When i drive i want to kill or run over every imbecile around me that doesn’t know how to drive. Thank god i do not own a gun!! It is funny how fast this feeling of angry gets to rage in matter of seconds.
I lose it very fast over nothing, from a typical angry moment to extreme rage. I cannot describe this feeling, rage that I have. This is the biggest side effect so far. I have no other pains or problems, but again I thought that my relationship was all good and look where I end up!!
From the bottom of my heart, if you even plan on taking chantix or know somebody PLEASE PLEASE STOP HIM OR HER FROM DOING IT!!!! I wish I had somebody to tell me that I would lose my future wife!! The emptiness in my heart get bigger and bigger day by day.
I need help and i have no insurance as i can not afford it anymore!
i need help…please help me. Let us all fight these criminals and make a change!!! God bless us all and may god be with you. He is probably all i have left

I just read (I am not giving my name yet) remarks; Id like to say to you. Your story sounds very simular to mine. I had a wonderful husband (had being the KEY word there), I acted in ways I never thought possable. Gambeling, Drinking, Anger, Violance, the list goes on and on….. untill it ended in me finally realizing I needed help. I unlike you had a good job and insuranse so I commited myself into a psyc word for evaluation. They set me up with depression med’s and an apointment with a psycoligist in 6 weeks, released me the next day. See, they didn’t know at the time (even though I had a history with depression) Chantix was causing all of this to me. NO ONE KNEW!!!! Within 2 weeks I tried Suiside and was in a Coma for 3 days. When I awoke I was sent for evaluation and was only keep for 2 days. Still know one new it was Chantix! Released with a higher dose of depression meds and “keep your apointment” with the psycoligist they said. Needless to say, much gambeling, drinking, fighting with my husband and trying to load a gun to kill him and my self ( I couldn’t figure out how to load a gun ) thank the good lord, I called my daughters fathers and asked him to help me kill my husband and bury him in the backyard. At this time I didn’t know my husband was so scared of me he was recording all incoming and outgoing calls, so this conversation was recorded. I must add I was very drunk and on my percription medication and do not remember this conversation with my daughters day, ok. lets get that straight. The same night It was 2 weeks after my suiside attempt and 10 day from my release from the hospital, I attempted suiside again. By the grace of god and him alone I survived! I lost the love of my life in 2007. I thought there would never be happyness again. I am now married, own my home, have the truck, car, boat, dog, cat. The whole 9 yards as one would put it. So hang in there. There is happyness again on the horrizon. May god hold your hand as he has held mine and so many of ours through these trying times in this whole Chantix ordel.

I took Chantix for 5 days in 2011. I stopped because my lip swoll up one morning. I take benadryl and it has been releiving it after two days. I have had a recurrance of this swelling five times. My mouth gets so big, it looks like the skin wants to break. It is December 2012, and again my mouth swoll up this morning and is of course starting to scare me because the benadryl does not seem to be working at all, it is keeps growing.

Had a colleague that was on Chantix and she shot a clot to the brain and died on the floor. 36 yo, mother of 3. Various professionals have told me that it might have had nothing to do with the Chantix but my mind has already associated her tragic death with this drug. Noone can convince me otherwise. Get this drug off the market!

I thought I was going crazy! I am a mother of 4, grandmother of 6 and a striving entrepreneur and single mother. My escape was to smoke as a way to relax but I realized I needed to quit smoking in order stay on this Earth long enough to watch my grandchildren grow up. After many attempts with nicorette gum, the patches and other methods of trying to quit smoking my doctor prescribed Chantrix. Before taking the medication I talked to the pharmicist to make sure it would not interact with my current medication and was assured that it would be fine to take. I took the Chantix for only 4 days and began to feel like my head was mushy, I couldn\\\’t concentrate, felt like I was walking into the room 10 feet behind myself, apparently was saying random things and felt overall in a haze…so I decided I needed to stop taking the medication. THAT IS WHEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My initial symptoms were no match for what was yet to come the next two weeks….unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I became completely irrational, rage and outbursts, rambling on like a crazy person on the side of the road, thinking of all the ways I could kill myself, and had lost all sense of self…in fact, I don\\\’t even remember most of those two weeks….I am just gathering the stories from my close friends and family members about the things I did!!! WENT ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!!!! I am just now coming out of the fog and trying to put the pieces together…thank goodness I stopped taking that drug!!! Does anyone know how long it is going to take until I feel normal again? Also, I was having heart and chest pains along with this crazy episode in my life. I WOULD HOPE THAT THE FDA WOULD TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS MEDICATION!!!!!!!!!!!!

I lost my husband on dec 16th 2009. I lost him for no reason. He was taking chantix after a neck surgery. He died in his sleep. He was 49. The really weird thing iS that no toxicology tests were done. The hospital required a autopsy because it was less then 24 hours that he left the hospital. I live every day with the words I’m sorry ma’am your husbands death is indeterminate!!
I can’t help but feel it was the chantix. He has had many surgeries before. The chantix was the only difference.

I took chantix 3 times over several years, first time it didn’t help at all, second time I quit for a week, bad dreams but no other side effects, third time I quit for several weeks but began having extreme dizziness ESP while driving. 2 years after stopping the medication, many trips to neurologists , I still can not drive out of town due to dizziness. No explanation for dizziness, I believe it’s caused from this drug

I just wanted to answer Magan (May 28, 2015)
My mother took Chantix in 2008. Prior to that she was very healthy – had not even visited a doctor in over 30 years. She experienced many of the symptoms that are described above during the time she took Chantix and for the two years following it. She had terrible dreams, her smell and taste were impacted, she was nervous and withdrawn, she stopped seeing her family, etc. On February 28, 2010 I took her to the local Emergency Room following some very serious symptoms. He brain tumor was diagnosed that evening – glioblastoma. Even though we had a great doctor, it returned within 4-5 months of her surgery. I lost my mother on September 15, 2015.

Please do not take Chantix. My dad took Chantix in late 2012. After 4 weeks of taking Chantix he began dragging his leg. After a couple of weeks he lost feeling on the whole right side of his body. He was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor. He fought hard for 2.5 years. I know Chantix caused this. We buried him 08/15/15.

May 2011 I tried Chantix to quit smoking. The following month I committed suicide by overdose taking every medice I had all at once. I was unconscious in 20 mins and nearly dead 45 mins later. For brief moment I heard we are loosing her. Then nothing, total darkness. The volunteer rescue had no paddles, the hospital was 12 miles, at 6 miles I was stopped in the road stopped while life support met us and jumped me. I wasn’t conscious after I heard them say we’re loosing her and next I was in the ER. Then ICU. Then released after a couple days if I remember correctly. Definitely not clear about how many days before discharge. I have to say I was having terrible abdominal pain, like child labor. No one could figure it out. But since I have Celiac disease, I didnt know that Carbo methyl cellulose was the culprit of the abdominal pain that resulted from Chantix. As I have learned since that time, I realized that two drugs I was taking had that in it. Oxycontin was the drug in conjuction with Chantix at the time they both cobtained it causing severe abdominal episodes. After that I refuse meds containing that inactive ingredient along with any other drugs with those ingredients, which is in almost everything now. Bad for all bowel diseases, diabetes, autism and others with low immune and depression. The was research online by a physician in Texas in the 1970’s that documented this. But naturally I had to die before I found that information. .

Chantix destroyed my life. In September of 2010, I decided that after over a decade of smoking, I would quit using Chantix as a support guide. I set my quit date as my 29th birthday and stuck to it. While on Chantix I had very mild side effects that consisted mainly of nausea and a handful of bad dreams. No big deal I decided, the outcome was going to be worth it. At this point in time the only serious side effects I had ever heard about regarding this medication had been the potential for horrible dreams and the increase in suicide. I was prepared for this. I had a wonderful support circle through all of this.

In November I decided to speak to my doctor about coming off of Chantix. Since I have a habit of being sensitive to medication, I asked for him to wean me off of it. I was worried about the fact that you are supposed to be able to just stop a medication that your body had been on for so long. I dropped down from the blue pills, took the green pills for two weeks and then on the last two weeks I was taking a green pill every other day. Three days after I took the last green pill, hell broke loose in my life. I woke up one day, my focus wasn’t quite right. I was in a foggy haze, I had the shakes, I had the sweats, I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, my body fully revolted on me. I laid in the center or the bed and shook. I was pale and anytime food touched my tongue I would gag.

As the days passed I found I could no longer read books or concentrate. I had a hard time focusing to be intimate with sex. I constantly feel off balance. Such a horrible way to live. I went to a couple of doctors after this initial reaction and every single one of them blew me off saying they had never heard of such things from Chantix. Not a single one of them took time to investigate my claim.

Here I am now December 2015… I can eat again fine and a very mild portion of my concentration has returned. Overall, I am screwed as a person. I have difficulties learning and focusing whereas I had no trouble before. I am quick to get angry and blow up. I am constantly walking around in a fog. I forget what I am doing in the middle of doing it. Sometimes it is so bad that I forget I am cooking stuff on the stove and just walk away. My memory and ability to recollect stuff is also shot. I have jerks and spasms. Mild shaking, off balance. This drug has completely ruined my life. The only thing I wanted was to quit smoking to improve my health, this drug destroyed my health. While I cannot prove it, I find it ironic that a healthy woman such as myself has developed SLE, hashimotos, POTS syndrome, and a slew of other problems since I quit taking this drug. I just had cognitive testing done late October. Now on top of depression and anxiety, I have adhd, psychomotor deficiency, and memory impairment, the list keeps growing and I keep getting worse. I should be going to the doctors and specialists more than I am, but I cannot because I cannot afford to go!

Thank you to all who have posted their stories. I just wish I had read them before I started this horrible drug. I have been happily married for over 20 years. My husband and I got into an argument last night and I was literally backing him into a corner trying to hurt him. I actually ran for our knives to hurt myself too. I’m acting completely irrational. Everything sets me off. I have been in tears for days because I woke up the other morning and realized I have lost an inch from my hairline. I am going completely bald. I noticed a few weeks ago while washing my hair that I was losing a lot but it just clicked a few days ago that it’s from the chantix. So I searched on the web and I see that there have been complaints since 2008. Yet no where is hair loss mentioned as a possible side effect. How do executives at Pfizer sleep at night? I guess very comfortable in their mansions at our expense. I don’t want to live anymore. Has anyone else lost hair and did it grow back?